Council enforcement officers from Barking and Dagenham Council got more than they bargained for when they conducted a dawn raid at three addresses in East London, as part of an ongoing crackdown on rogue landlords.
Unbelievable findings
Officers from the council, alongside local estate police officers, made the unbelievable discovery of 55 people, including children, residing in the three properties in Dagenham.
Councillor Laila Butt, cabinet minister for crime and enforcement, said it was, ‘unacceptable to have these almost Dickensian conditions in a world class city such as London.’[1]
Continuing, Butt said that the, ‘vast majority of landlords are socially responsible and they have nothing to fear from our inspections.’ However, she warns that, ‘those criminal landlords who are making a mint out of other people’s misery and London’s ridiculous rental market are not welcome here and should clear out of Barking and Dagenham or face the consequences.’[1]
A search of a property in Fordyke Road saw officers discover 22 people, including four children. The house was found to have four bedrooms, which were illegally converted. In Manor Road, the crackdown team found 18 people living in dangerous conditions, including two children in six bedrooms.
Finally, in Japan Road, 15 people were discovered in one home, including five children, living in five rooms in a supposed three-bedroom house. Here, officers also found so-called beds-in-sheds outside.
Safety
All three properties were found to be in breach of health and safety hazards, which included illegal wiring and shoddy fire precautions.
Seb Klier, policy manager of Generation Rent, said that, ‘it’s sickening to see such obscene overcrowding happening in London under our noses. Anyone coming to work in the UK should expect a minimum standard of accommodation for them and their children. We welcome Barking and Dagenham Council’s active enforcement of the law, but unfortunately we don’t know how widespread this is because so many councils don’t licence their landlords.’[1]
Officers are continuing their investigations.
[1] https://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/8/dawn-swoop-in-east-london-finds-55-living-in-three-houses